In search of a better quality of life, fulfilling our dreams to see the world and provide ourselves and young children with invaluable experiences, we sold our home and possessions in London to begin our journey of a lifetime.
Here we will share our tips, stories, successes and failures, not only for our families and friends, but also to assist those who may have similar adventures in mind. We hope also to inspire those who relish the idea of travelling to newer and unfamiliar pastures but do not know how and those who require some evidence it can be done.

06 December 2011

Wakefield: Sandal Castle

WHAT I like most about travelling is exploring. So much is new and life more interesting when you feel as if you are learning.

In West Yorkshire we've found there is plenty to see and visit. The history here is long and I find it fun discovering more.

As Zenchai has been asking about castles (since we went through Italy, in fact, in the summer of 2010), that's been top of our list.

We found one about 30 minutes from hilly Huddersfield, where we are staying. Only the remains of a 12th century castle still stand on the site where the Battle Of Wakefield (one of the earliest Wars Of The Roses), during which Richard of York was killed, was fought in 1460.

Sandal Castle is easy to get to and perched high on the outskirts of Wakefield, overlooking the River Calder and Calder Valley. You can climb to the top of a motte (mound) and bailey (courtyard) to see unobscured views of the surrounding countryside.

We made a family visit there. It's free to enter (and park), open all year round and a nice place to go for walks. Zenchai scaled the motte and bailey and went up and down the steep moats that once served as the castle's defences.

It is thought that the original structures here were made from wood and only later strengthened with stone. This was discovered after extensive archaealogical excavation. Parts of what were the kitchen, larder, bakehouse and brewery can be seen.

By about 1320 Sandal Castle was a strong fortress, but it was reportedly later burned down (though there is scant archaeological evidence of this). As the castle swapped hands, eventually a stone structure was built. Artist's impressions show that it was quite impressive (not that you can tell from what stands on the land today).

You have to let your imagination do most of the work, though I did wonder how a stone castle of such stature could be virtually entirely ruined. However, at the time (in the 1300s) war between the Scots and English seemed almost endless. During the Battle Of Wakefield approximately 30,000 men fought here. The castle suffered, as have most castles in Britain and Europe.

By 1642 the castle was in bad shape and further battles and bombardments during a civil war had reduced it almost to rubble. In 1646 Parliament ordered that the castle be destroyed. It wasn't until around 1964 that excavations began to unearth the once-outstanding structure.

For a full account of the long history of the castle, you can take a tour. These are given from Wednesday to Sunday at 2pm. Tel: 01924 249779 for more details.